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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24385978">The Truth</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Impala_Cherry_Trickster/pseuds/Impala_Cherry_Trickster'>Impala_Cherry_Trickster</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Merlin (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Canon Era, Gen, Gwaine Being Gwaine (Merlin), Hurt Merlin (Merlin), Hurt/Comfort, Magic Revealed, Merlin is a Little Shit, Protective Arthur, Protective Knights (Merlin), Scars</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 06:48:13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,538</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24385978</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Impala_Cherry_Trickster/pseuds/Impala_Cherry_Trickster</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Arthur demands the truth, and Merlin cannot deny him</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Gwaine &amp; Merlin (Merlin), Merlin &amp; Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>690</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Truth</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Just a lil one-shot I wrote, enjoy</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>‘It’s going to hurt quite a bit…’</p><p>‘Just bloody DO IT!’ Merlin shouted, trying not to look to his heavily bleeding leg. Why did Knights want to go on Hunts? Why did they ever think it was a good idea? One moment, they were tracking down an elusive dear, the next Merlin was becoming a pin-cushion. The arrow had embedded into his leg in a pretty nasty way, and now he had the Round Table Knights and the King surrounding him. There was a fire roaring away, a dagger placed in it so the blade would heat.</p><p>‘Give him something to bite down on.’ Arthur remarked, his voice wobbling slightly and his hands trembling. Honestly, Merlin was closer to passing out of blood loss, than the pain.</p><p>‘I don’t need it. Just hurry up.’ He’d suffered a lot worse than an arrow to the leg, was going to explain such a thing to the King, before remembering that just because he had accepted that his sister had Magic, did not mean he would think too kindly of Merlin. Percival was holding down his ankles Leon and Elyan gripping his shoulders, while Lancelot and Gwaine stayed back.</p><p>‘You don’t need to act brave for us.’ Arthur stated, stripping away the fabric from Merlin’s leg. He supposed he should be glad it was his leg that was injured, there would have been an issue if they’d tried to take his shirt off. Too many unexplainable things.</p><p>Acting brave? He could have laughed, thought to all the pain he’d endured before. The worst being the Serket sting, when he found Morgause collaborating with her General. He should have taken back-up, he had to keep reminding himself he wasn’t alone anymore, that both Lancelot and Morgana were aware of his Magic.</p><p>‘Do it.’ Merlin gritted out, watched as the glowing blade was snatched from the fire. A nod from Arthur to his men, commanding them to hold him tighter, and then the blade was coming down.</p><p>Merlin did not make a single sound. He sucked in air, screwed his eyes shut and tried to remember the feeling of the Serket Sting, of the feeling of death. It did help, the wound in his leg was nothing compared to that, and when Merlin dared to open his eyes, the blade was gone.</p><p>He missed the look that was exchanged between the Knights, instead focused on the healing equipment he’d brought with him, began to wrap his own leg, before Gwaine batted his hands away.</p><p>‘Let me.’</p><p>‘I can do…’</p><p>‘I know you can. But you don’t have to.’ That shut him up, and Merlin settled to watch as the Knight carefully bandaged the wound up. It hurt, but it wasn’t too bad, he would take something for the pain, and then go and clean off in the stream.</p><p>Nobody stopped him as he stumbled to his feet, testing how much weight he could put on his leg. Not a lot, was the answer, and he hobbled in the direction of the stream while cursing every bandit that had ever lived. Why did they shoot him? He was just trying to keep an idiot known as Arthur alive, he was no threat to them.</p><p>Actually, that was a lie, he’d used Magic to give the one that had been standing under the tree a pretty nasty bruise. And then there was the one he’d used a vine to trip over. It had been an accident that he’d landed on his own dagger, Merlin really didn’t like killing people. Not even for Arthur.</p><p>Once he’d reached the stream, he stripped down pretty quickly. The Knights knew that he didn’t like to undress with them, that he preferred privacy. They had always respected it, so Merlin had no fear as he got rid of the shirt and trousers, leaving on his smallclothes. He began to wash away the dirt, blood and grime from his skin, using his neckerchief to scrub at himself.</p><p>Until someone was gasping, and Merlin barely had time to spin before he was hoisted off the ground. The issue was that they were trained Knights, and he was quite a gangly man, light enough for Arthur to pick up and shove back. He wobbled on his bad leg, grimaced as pain shot up his side, before realising Arthur’s gasp had alerted the others.</p><p>Now, he was standing in front of the six of them like a prized doll, scars on display. Merlin didn’t even have anything to cover himself with, so put his hands on his hips and waited.</p><p>‘Are you done staring at me like a pet?’ He snarled, defensive, trying to ignore the horror. Lancelot just looked apologetic, moved to stand between him and the King. Then he reached for his cape, draped it around Merlin’s shoulders with ease.</p><p>‘You KNEW about this?!’ Arthur screeched, voice an awful lot higher than usual. Lancelot glared, went to say something, but Merlin patted his shoulder. He was okay, he could do this.</p><p>‘Lancelot found out by accident. Not by being a prat, like you.’ Merlin shot back, gripped the edge of the cloak and tried to tuck it around himself. The last thing he wanted to do was let them have time to watch him, to examine the scars.</p><p>‘I saw you when you first came to Camelot. You had none of those.’ That was true, it was before he’d found out how many people wanted to kill Arthur.</p><p>‘I’m clumsy, you said so yourself.’ It was a weak attempt, Arthur was shoving Lancelot out of the way to rip the cloak aside, hand jabbing straight against the burn from Nimueh. Merlin stumbled, put pressure on his bad leg and cried out, lucky enough that Gwaine caught him.</p><p>‘The truth. Ah!’ He snapped, when Merlin went to lie, ‘The truth, Merlin. No lies.’</p><p>‘It was Nimueh.’ The words fell from his lips before he could try to stop them, Arthur halting.</p><p>‘Why?’</p><p>‘You were going to die. I traded my life for yours, but she tried to change the bargain. My mother fell ill, and I… I went to confront her. She threw a fireball at me.’ Arthur absorbed the information, looked annoyed, then his expression softened.</p><p>‘You were ready to die for me?’ Merlin was soothed by the hands holding him, leant back slightly against Gwaine.</p><p>‘Of course. You were the Prince of Camelot. I was just your manservant.’ And a friend, Merlin wanted to say, but he didn’t.</p><p>‘What happened to Nimueh?’ Arthur was no longer angry, Merlin could see that. It drained out of him, visibly, Arthur slumping slightly and looking anywhere but at him.</p><p>‘I killed her.’ Heads snapped up, Lancelot’s face growing worried. Was he really about to do this?</p><p>‘How?’ Arthur asked it like he feared the question, and Merlin sighed. Stretched his hand out, focused on his palm, and summoned the flame to it.</p><p>Arthur went very pale, eyes trained onto the fire that Merlin controlled.</p><p>‘With Magic.’ The silence was unbearable, until Arthur gestured vaguely at him.</p><p>‘The others?’</p><p>‘Various people trying to kill you. Usually other sorcerers. Sometimes normal people. Magic creatures, like… like a Serket.’ He shrugged the cape out of the way, turned to show Arthur his shoulder. There was a hushed murmur of shock, Arthur’s fingers reaching out, before he snatched them back. Gwaine had no such inhibitions, let his fingers trail over the raised veins.</p><p>‘How did you survive?’</p><p>‘I called for a Dragon to heal me.’ If he’d told one secret, he might as well tell the other. Arthur didn’t look shocked any more, just exhausted.</p><p>‘Morgana told me the reason she trusted me, the reason she didn’t turn to the dark, was because someone taught her to control her power. That was you.’ It wasn’t a question, it was a statement, but Merlin still nodded.</p><p>‘I taught her everything I know, wanted to help her feel safe, learning to use her gift. To live happily, not in fear of…’ He halted, but Arthur finished his sentence.</p><p>‘The Pyre.’ Merlin ducked, then glanced up.</p><p>‘I know you won’t burn me. If you wanted to kill me, you’d have done so already. But if you want me to leave Camelot… I won’t do it. I can’t keep you safe if I’m not by your side.’ Merlin jutted his chin up, daring Arthur to banish him, daring the King to tell him he had to leave. Arthur did no such thing, just turned and moved back towards the fire.</p><p>‘We’ll head back to Camelot. I… You’re an idiot. Some things never change.’</p><p>Merlin sagged, narrowly managed to avoid tumbling. Gwaine held onto him, kept a careful hold in case Merlin fell, and he couldn’t be more thankful.</p><p>‘Thank you. All of you.’ He whispered, and the Knights just smiled. Leon ruffled his hair, while Elyan slapped his shoulder in a manly gesture. Percival opened up his arms, had always been slightly shy, and Merlin quickly tumbled into them. Hugged him, then stepped back. Lancelot gave him a knowing smile, headed towards the fire, and Merlin turned to Gwaine.</p><p>‘Magic is sexy.’ Gwaine offered, and Merlin laughed.</p><p>That could have gone worse.</p>
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